Panacea
by SamKo
Summary: Cure of all Ills and Weaknesses. The bright light isn't always the end. It isn't the beginning, either. It is not the journey, or the destination, nor good or evil. It is but one thing: truth, and the power to hide this truth. Finally back again, R&R!
1. Prologue

_Panacea- Remedy of all ills and difficulties_

Notice how the title is so similar to _Pandemic_, and there's more where that came from, proof is all here in _Panacea_. This is my fourth TMM mystery, and I'm so proud! Kickin, too. So let's get this party started, non?

Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew.

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"Just a tad bit deeper," the boy muttered to himself. He was young, possibly 15 or 16, with long, slender, brown hair, tied limply in the back with a ribbon. He was spending his time searching, digging, looking. For what, he wasn't sure, but something drew him to this particular spot. Once he selected his desired crack in the ground, deep below in the catacombs his mentor was currently studying, he frantically drove his shovel into the dried soil.

The boy had been at that same spot for two hours, the hole now five feet deep, five feet wide. But he didn't quit, only continuing to shove his tool into the forbidden dirt. Something caught his eye. Kneeling down, he noticed what seemed to be a blue jewel embed in something bigger. He brushed his hand over it, removing more dirt.

"Doctor Shirogane, I think I've found something!" he called out, excited by his discovery. But maybe they already left, maybe he was the last person still excavating the site. Finding an edge of what seemed to be a stone tablet, he started to pull it up from the ground, debris and dust drifting.

This was it. This was what had been attracting him to that area that whole day. He couldn't define the feeling, but it felt important, powerful, _destined_.

A bright, blue light shot up from the ground, engulfing the teenage boy. His voice pierced the air with surprised pain, eventually stopping when his vision grew black, and he fell to the ground of his hole in unconsciousness.

Possibly fifteen minutes later, an older man, maybe in his upper thirties, with dark brown hair, and a younger boy, about ten, blonde hair, blue eyes, came into the fateful chamber they heard the cry from minutes before.

The young boy ran up to the strangely deep hole located at the middle of the chamber. "Keiichiro!" he yelled at the teen, collapsed at the bottom of the hole.

The older man rushed over to the boy. "Ryou, help me pull him out," he told him gently, starting to slide himself down.

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Time passed, and late that night the underground catacombs were deserted of any humans who were investigating the remains earlier that day.

However, the blue-jewel encrested tablet was gone. Or rather, it was gone from the ruins. It still existed in reality, yes, though it was no longer materialistic…because for the first time in thousands of years, someone uncovered it, gave it life, since it now has found itself the perfect host…

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I love this prologue. It's so mysterious, but I've found that that's what I'm good at, so everything works out. So sit back, relax, grab your Keiichiro plushie, and enjoy _Panacea_- Remedy of all ills and difficulties – tale beyond a gentleman, tale beyond the Mew Aqua.


	2. Gentleman's Curse

A year's time has elapsed since Deep Blue's defeat. Ichigo was most likely studying with Masaya in England, based off of the fact that the girls seldom talk about her. Ryou's been especially distant, though, throughout this past year. Lettuce has been doing her best trying to get him to smile, but it never quite seems to be real.

Me, you ask? I prefer not to talk about myself, but since you insist…. I've been fine. I try to cheer up the girls the best I can, since things became quite glum when Ichigo left. They try not to show it, but their disappointment still comes through. The forced smiles give me a feeling of discontent, and I wish there was more I could've done, or still could do.

But now that I think about it, ever since Deep Blue was defeated…oh, never mind, it's not important, I don't think…

"Um, Keiichiro…Keiichiro? I know you're a great chef and all, but does it hurt to pay attention to what you're doing?"

It took me a moment to zone back into reality. How could I be oblivious enough to not see or smell the smoke that was now thickening in front of my face? My hand instinctively shot down to turn the stove off, but with all the smoke, it was a hit and miss, me burning my hand in the overactive flame. Right hand in pain, I took my left hand to shut it off, succeeding this time. Grabbing a nearby towel, I tried to swat away some sort of clearing before the smoke detector went off. _'Beep beep beep.'_ Too late. I turned to go shut if off, but Ryou was on step ahead of me.

"Keiichiro, that's the third time you've burned something this week," Ryou said to me, as if I didn't know, "And today is Monday!" he added. Shoot, that one slipped my mind. Wait a minute, how is that supposed to work?

"You've seemed distracted," Ryou continued, "Have you been feeling okay?" he must have noticed my burned hand, because his eyes got wide, "and you might want to tend to your hand some time soon." I looked down at my right hand, and just looking at it made it hurt. My thumb, index, and middle fingers were beat red up to my knuckles, and were already starting to swell. I inhaled slowly, enduring the increasingly throbbing pain.

"Anyway," Ryou said, diverting my attention again. He walked over to the kitchen's doorway, and…great. There stood Zakuro, arms crossed, leaning up against the wall near the door. How long had she been there, without me noticing? Had she seen and heard all that? Ryou started talking again, "How about we close up shop for the next, oh, two days? You seem like you need some time off, and I'm sure the girls would like to have work off as well."

A break. I should've asked him if _he_ was feeling alright, but I wasn't about to start protesting. I had to admit, a break seemed really appealing right now. Ryou exited through the doors, and I turned to get back to work at the stove, but was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at cold sapphire eyes. "You need to take care of your burn. It looks really bad," Zakuro said, pulling me over to the sink. And she actually pulled me by the arm, my left one, since my right was in questionable condition, and turned the faucet on, running cold water.

"I shouldn't be doing this, but keep your right hand underneath the water for awhile," she instructed. Great, now I'm suddenly in grade school again, sitting in the nurse's office after getting bullied for my ponytail. "Where can I get some aloe-vera?"

Was she actually planning on helping me with my hand? "There should be a bottle down in the changing room, second drawer by the sink. If you can't find any, ask Ryou," I told her. She gave me a sort of awkward look, and I almost instantly knew what she was asking me at that, "I don't live here, you know."

Her eyes softening, Zakuro turned to leave the kitchen. Phew, did she make me nervous sometimes. Especially when she was talking to me, and it wasn't about the Mew Project. Not that I really think she's ever actually talked to me about something other than the project….Aah, did my hand feel better. That, or it was just numbing, but that was better than it stinging and throbbing like it did before.

The doors swung open again, Zakuro coming, carrying in a bottle of aloe-vera, what looked like some kind of ointment, and a bundle of bandage wrap. My burn wasn't _that_ bad, was it? Maybe she was overdoing it…

She came over, placing her items down on the counter, and turned the running water off. Then she exited again, without saying anything. Okay, so maybe I overestimated her actions. But then she came back in, this time carrying two of the café's chairs in, and placed them down by the counter. She grabbed the aloe-vera, and then sat down in one of the chairs. Assuming she wanted me to do the same, I sat down in the other chair.

Zakuro grabbed a towel, and dabbed my hand to dry it off. I winced. So much for it being numb. Then she squirted out a quarter sized amount of aloe, and softly massaged it on, using both of her hands. I tried to keep my composure the best I could, and let me tell you, it was hard. At the same time, my hand stung from her massaging, yet it made it feel better for the long run.

Next was the ointment. Applying it evenly across my fingers, she never took her attention away from what she was doing, all the while never saying a word. I remained silent, too, because who knows if she'd respond if I tried to talk to her.

Putting the ointment back on the counter, she reached for the bandage wrap. Zakuro started with my thumb, wrapped it twice, moving over to my index finger, twice, my middle finger, twice, and then wrapped the mass of my hand four times. Just now, I noticed, that my hand still stung, but the throbbing was gone. I looked up at her face, she was still holding my hand. When she realized she was finished, she quickly let go. I couldn't help but smile. That being over with, we both stood up.

"Well," she said, picking up the chairs, "you'll want to apply aloe regularly, so you might want to use new bandaging after awhile…" She darted her face away, heading back for the doors. I couldn't just let her go like that, after she got done helping me like this…even if it was a little much, so with my good hand I grabbed her shoulder. Zakuro stopped, but didn't move otherwise. "What is it?" she asked, that familiar icy tone on top of her words.

I wanted her to look at me. I really did. Or maybe I didn't, depending on what her feelings were right now. It was always hard to tell what Zakuro was thinking, yet she could always read everyone else's thoughts like a book. For a split second I forgot why I stopped her. She started to walk again, but I stopped her once again. "Thank-you, for helping me out," I said, and I really meant it, "I wouldn't have been able to take care of it by myself."

The next few seconds made me more nervous than ever, because they were full of silence. She eventually responded, turning her head to look at me. Her eyes were so cold…was she seeing right through me? Zakuro gave a slight nod, then continued through the doors, leaving me alone in the kitchen.

I looked down at my bandaged hand. It wasn't too tight, or too loose, it was just right. And now I sound like I'm reading the story about the three bears and Goldilocks.

Just as I was about to put away the supplies Zakuro left, my body froze. A strong, jolting pain came to my head. No, it wasn't new; in fact I'm quite familiar with this devastating headache. My hands rose to my head as reflex, and I was trying my hardest to stay silent. It would be over soon, I assured myself, even though I knew it wasn't that simple. The pain kept coming, pounding, throbbing, that excruciating sensation, and this time it seemed worse than ever. I fell to my knees, still holding my head in agony, trying to embrace this the best I could. No, this was too much, this wasn't like the other times. I shut my eyes, halting the tears so that they wouldn't fall. A whimper escaped my lips, as hard as I struggled to keep it back, to keep quiet.

_Too…much…torment…_

Another moan slipped my mouth, and the headache was over. I'd been getting horrible headaches similar to this ever since Deep Blue was defeated. I figured they were just migraines, but they've only been getting more tedious, this being the worst so far. I haven't told anyone about it, but I don't think there's a need to. And there's no point in getting anyone worked up over _me_, right?

Hey, I've got two full free days to figure out what's going on. And there's the debate on whether I should go see a doctor about it or not, though I don't think that'd be the wisest decision to make. And then there's my burn, but that should be fine, for now.

I stood up, still breathing heavily from my recent, 'incident.' There was no way that those headaches were normal. I untied my hair ribbon and re-tied it, my hair tussled from me clenching it with my hands. After all, I'd have to hide any evidence of anything ever being wrong, so there are no worries. The girls are already distressed enough with fighting the leftover Chirema Anima, and Ichigo not being here to help them out.

5 'o'clock. Time to close up shop. Using my good hand, I started to carry pots and pans over to the sink. Cleaning the dishes was going to be hard with only one hand. The doors opened, and Lettuce came in with a pile of plates. She rushed over to the sink, most likely because she didn't want to have them any longer, the more likely she was to drop them. She noticed my bandaged hand. "Oh, Akasaka-san, what happened to your hand?" she asked me. Was I going to tell her?

"Oh, don't worry about it, Lettuce-san," I assured her, turning over to the plates she had just deposited in the sink. Lettuce was such a sweet girl, I wouldn't want her to fret over my burned fingers, let alone fret over me.

"Well, since we have some time off," she said, "I'll see you in a few days, Akasaka-san." She turned to leave.

"See you then, Lettuce-san," I replied, smiling. I know I smile a lot, but I can't help it when I'm with the girls. They're all so sweet.

Just as Lettuce exited, in came Zakuro, still in café uniform, bringing more plates. Okay, so maybe she wasn't so sweet, but maybe her actions said something else today. Who knows? She carefully placed her bundle in the sink, noticing that I hadn't started washing anything yet. She looked up at me. "You need help?" she asked me. I didn't want to burden her from whatever other activities she might have going on, but I really did need the extra help. I looked down at the sink, then at my hand, then the soap.

"Okay, I get the point, you need help here," she said, as if answering my thoughts, "and my modeling shift tonight was canceled anyway, so I've got the time." Alright then, she still puzzles me. I wasn't totally sure as to how I was going to be of any use at all, and I couldn't let her do all of the work. "How about you dry plates after I finish rinsing them?" Three strikes, I'm out. So I'm drying plates, it's better than watching her do all the work.

So for about half-an-hour, we stood there, Zakuro washing and rinsing, and me drying. We had a mild conversation, occasionally bringing up the subject of the weather, her modeling career, or my searches in the ruins how many years ago.

_Crash!_ I looked over at Zakuro's hands. She had broken a plate in the sink, and the broken fragments must've cut her finger. She must have surprised herself, because she still hadn't made a move after breaking the plate. The soap water must have stung her hand, because after a moment she pulled her hand out quickly. I stopped what I was doing to take a look.

"Oh, no, it's nothing," she said, detecting me trying to see what happened.

It wasn't nothing if she was bleeding. "How about you clean up the broken pieces while I go get something for your finger?" I insisted, "and be careful with the pieces so you don't cut yourself again." Zakuro gave me a 'duh,' sort of look, so I just smiled and went to the bathroom to grab a band aid.

Once I came back into the kitchen, there was a pile of dishes ready for me to dry. I came over by Zakuro, and she was still working, even though her finger was still bleeding. "Stop," I ordered, holding up the band aid for her to see, "Exposing your open wound to the soap water won't do it any good. Now give me your finger." She looked at me, surprised by my tone of voice, but obeyed. I took her finger and rinsed it under fresh cold water from the tap, dried it with a nearby towel, and un-rapped the bandage.

I carefully applied the band aid to her cut, making sure I touched the wound before I totally got the bandage all the way on, giving it some healing before it was entirely covered for protection. It was a small wound, and healing it just that small bit only sent a small sting to my already wounded right hand. Since I previously had an injury, using my power was no problem, as long as Zakuro didn't notice what happened.

Zakuro hesitated before getting back to washing the dishes. She didn't start again until she saw me drying, so I guess she needed the lead. I hated the silence, but for the last five minutes we had working, the only sound was the clanking of dishes and the occasional swish of water.

We finished at about 5:50, Zakuro not making any delay to leave. "See you later, Keiichiro-san," she said, departing from the café.

"Good-bye, Zakuro-san," I replied, waving as she left. Checking back one last time over the café, I made my goodbye to Ryou and closed up for the night, grabbing my keys and heading out to my car.

On the way home, I wondered if it was okay to use my power on Zakuro. It had to have been okay, since it was only a small cut. But maybe that was why I had been getting those really bad headaches.

Sure, Ryou and I always assured the girls that the reason their injuries healed so quickly was because they were Mews, and it was because of their animal DNA, and believing as that may be, it wasn't the case. I had the ability to heal their wounds, their scars, their injuries, so I was always the one tending to the girls when they came back from their battles.

Even though I could, I never completely healed them. That would wear myself out, and cause suspicion. I don't know why I have this power, and neither does Ryou, but we've never told anyone else, because there's no need for something like that. So we're the only ones who know anything about it.

I arrived at the apartment building that I'd grown to call home. It wasn't much, but there really wasn't a need for me to have anything more than that. It had the necessities, so I had no room for complaining.

Having a burn wears you out, so I didn't bother changing into different clothes as I got home, I just went straight to bed, thinking about the day that had gone by. The café was pretty much my life right now, that and the Mew project. So unless something came up with a Chimera Anima, I had nothing to do during these two days. But of course, Ryou was the same way. That is, unless I decided to do some…freshing up at the old ruins…

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So I'm trying my hardest to make the chapters of this story longer than those of my past have been. Really really really hard. Eheheh. REVIEW PLEASE ;D


	3. Unnesessary Thoughts

Sorry for the late update! In case I haven't already informed you, school started just over a week ago, and I've been flooded with homework now that I've started highschool. And yes, my birthday's coming up soon, September 11, so updates are going to be really rare from me. Though this is the story I'm giving my attention to right now, my current project, because Americanized Mew and Ongoing Problem are side courses.

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I pulled the covers back over my head, ignoring the morning sun trying to greet me, and get me out of bed. I never really was a morning person, so today I had an excuse to sleep in, not having to make my regular trip to the café. Besides, I hadn't decided on what I was going to do yet today. I was leaning towards going to the ruins, since I hadn't made a visit there in quite some time. But then there was the condition of my right hand, my dominant hand, which would make any task I try to perform seem difficult to do. That reminded me, I'd better re-apply some aloe before I went out and do anything that day.

'_Crash!'_ That really didn't sound good. It came from outside, and it sounded like something bashing the wall just below my apartment window – and that definately couldn't be a good thing. I rushed over to my window, rolled up the blinds, and pushed the sheet of glass open to look down at whatever had happened.

My heart stopped, or I thought it did. No, I swore it did. Outside was a Wooly Mammoth Chimera, and three Mews were fighting it, Mint, Lettuce, and Pudding, and they were all in pretty bad shape as it was.

Then I looked down. Now I knew what the thrash against the wall was, though it didn't please me one bit. Mew Zakuro, the new leader since Ichigo left, was defeated, laying limply at the ground, and appeared unconscious. And the worst part was, she was at the foot of my apartment.

Bewildered, I didn't hesitate to leave my apartment room and dash down two flights of stairs. I was in yesterday's clothes, so what? I exited the building, and to my right was Zakuro, badly beaten, her body in a heap. I cautiously knelt down next to her, looking her body over. She had so many wounds, so many injuries, it put my heart at despair. Not Zakuro, not the strong wolf. My heart skipping a beat at first, I lifted her up bridal style, and if she wasn't unconscious, she'd probably beat the snot out of me for doing this.

I looked out to the other Mews. "Lettuce-san! You're in charge!" I cried out to them, putting Lettuce in charge. I didn't want to abandon them, but Zakuro was in critical condition, and I didn't know what else to do. Before hearing her response, I went back into my apartment, carrying Zakuro up to my room. They could handle it, right?

Lucky for me, by the time I'd gotten up there, she'd de-transformed. Had she been hurt that badly? I carried her over to my bed, and laid her down. She was dressed in normal street clothes, only for Zakuro, that would be designer jean shorts and a tank top. It took me a moment to figure out what was going on, I was zoning out again because of her. _'Because of her…'_ Shoot! I can admire later, right now I have to do something about her injuries.

'_Admire?'_

I hurried to the bathroom, grabbing a wash clothe and wetting it with cold water. That was all I'd need. I came back to Zakuro, sitting myself next to her on the bed. Even if she was unconscious, it didn't matter, she still made my heart throb, and now she was lying on my bed. I figured I'd start with her face first, so I brushed away strands of loose hair to the sides of her head. Now I've got a mental note to tell her she's much prettier without all that hair covering her face.

First things first, I briskly wiped any scratches that were drawing blood with the wet clothe. After cleaning them, I ran my hand over them, making sure to touch the full length of any scratch. Then onto her arms, torso, legs, until I finished covering all visible wounds.

I looked over her body one more time. I just now realized that I had used full power on all her wounds and injuries…but I guess I couldn't help myself. It ails me to see her in pain, especially since she's always so distant about that kind of thing, or anything for that matter. So now all her scars were gone, that were in clear view, anyway. I lifted her shirt up enough, making sure I didn't see anything, and checked for more injuries, luckily there weren't any.

But now I've got another problem. Will Zakuro remember that battle? Will she remember the scars she received battling the Chimera? Maybe I'd be able to convince her that it was a dream, the whole battle was just a dream. She pretty much looked back to normal, as far as I could tell.

Maybe I shouldn't have done this. Maybe I should've just tried to wake her up so she could keep on fighting with the other Mews. Or maybe I'm just a wreck because my feelings are crossed over Zakuro…and I didn't mean that. Or did I? Bringing a hand to my head, I realized how much energy I lost from healing the wolf mew, I couldn't drain myself much more with useless thoughts.

From where I sat at the bed, I glanced out the open window. There was no sign of the Chimera, or the other three Mews. I really hoped the battle turned out positive for the team. After all, their leader was taken down, wasn't she? I looked back down at Zakuro. Yup, I was sure of it now, more than ever: looking at her made my face flush. Or did it even show? I hoped not…or maybe I hoped it did. If it does show, that's probably as far as I'd ever go with getting my feelings out.

Shoot, did I feel worn out. Helping out Zakuro really drained my energy. And I was still in yesterday's clothes. I stood up, and seeing as how I didn't make my bed after waking up yet, I pulled the covers over Zakuro's body, hoping she wouldn't wake up any time soon. I exited into my bathroom to take a shower.

Being in the shower, with nothing to worry about except the warm water rushing over my body, gave me time to think and relax for awhile. I really did feel pretty tired, so maybe I'd just rest today. It's not like I'd get much accomplished in the ruins with only one hand, anyway. But I really felt like I needed to go there for some reason…so maybe the next day, tomorrow.

Then there were my headaches. They came unexpectedly, if not regularly. There definitely was something abnormal about them, for sure. But whether I wanted to go see a doctor about them or not was still a question at the back of my mind. Maybe I'd ask Ryou about them first, but I doubt he'd know anything about them, though I can't help but be curious about him...

Ten minutes later I shut the water off. I had taken the bandage off of my hand to wash it off so I could re-apply aloe, and it stung at first in the clean water. Glancing around the room, I noticed that I'd forgotten a change of clothes, so I spotted a nearby towel, and wrapped it around my torso.

Exiting the bathroom, I prayed that Zakuro was still asleep, because if she saw me like this, in _my_ apartment, I don't think I'd live for much longer. I dashed to my dresser drawer, pulling out some clean clothes to change into, doing so quickly before the wolf Mew would wake up. I turned to go back to the bathroom, but just as I was about to open the door, I heard a gasp from the bed. _Shoot…_I slowly turned around, now tightly grabbing my clothes with nervous fists.

Zakuro sat upright in my bed, clenching the blanket covering her body, eyes wide, staring at me, or rather, my appearance. Other than her wide eyes, I couldn't make out any other thoughts, a loss for me. I couldn't decide what my first action should be, or if I should be the first to react. Well, of course I'd have to react first, it was my apartment, after all, right? Her violet hair looked tossled, her eyes sort of glossed over, but did that have anything to do with the situation at hand?

"It-" I stuttered, not quite able to form words from my embarrassed mouth, and still light-headed from using so much energy on healing her wounds before I went in the shower, "It's not—not what you think--" Geez, how was I supposed to pull this off? Great, and then I have to explain why she's in my apartment, in my _bed_, and why she's completely free of injuries…now I'm able to predict that this was going to be a long morning, and the way things have started so far, I don't think that this is going to be a good day for me, Keiichiro Akasaka. Not that I've ever really scored so far...

"Aah!" A yelp. It came from my mouth. No, not now…not with me like this…in nothing but a towel…but there wasn't anything to help it. My hands shot to my head, grabbing my sopping wet hair from the startling pain. A headache wasn't going to make things any better right now. And it was even worse than yesterday, or so I thought, falling to the ground sooner than I did the day before. It was jolt followed by jolt on my brain, sending a whimper to my lips every time. Now Zakuro knows about this pain I've been getting, or at least, she was getting to witness it right in front of her eyes.

Is it related to…Zakuro's healing?

The jolts kept coming, and I squeezed my hair tighter, if that was possible to begin with. Already being on my knees, I rolled over to my side, not able to process thoughts anymore. Now it didn't matter that I was only in a towel, didn't matter that I was still wet from just getting out of the shower, not to mention my hair, most likely leaving a giant puddle on the carpet. It didn't matter that Zakuro, the girl, that I hate to admit, that I've always been longingly admiring from afar, was sitting under the covers of my bed, staring at me in shock. All thoughts slipped away from my mind.

Everything went black.

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Yes, I understand that this chapter was shorter than the previous chapter, but it kind of had to end there, because Keiichiro's POV ends for now. It'd be kind of hard to write from his perspective if he was unconscious, non? So next chapter will of course be, Zakuro's POV, and it'll be quite obvious to tell when you read it, as it was for these first two chapters, not including the prologue.

So I won't waste anymore of your time, press that pretty button down there!


	4. Surprise Guest

Yay! I've actually written a longer chapter! This makes me happy, so make me happy in return my writing a review, okay? Oh wait, it's only the beginning of the chapter, so it's too early for my to ask you of that right now. Darnit... But hey, there's characters in this chapter other than Keiichiro and Zakuro! Isn't it amazing! Okay, not really, since this story is more so centered on them, so maybe that's not a good thing...gawsh.

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Keiichiro? Were my eyes fooling me? Either I was going totally crazy, or I was pretty sure that I was seeing Keiichiro, in nothing but a towel, not to mention wet, like he had just gotten out of the shower. Before I could say anything, he made a flinching action, his hands shooting straight to his head. Unsure of what was going on, I just watched him, not sure why. He looked like he was in great pain, but why? Why would Keiichiro be in pain? He eventually fell to his knees, slightly letting out groans and yelps now and then.

And after he fell unconscious, I felt more stupid than ever. Did I just say that? After all, he seemed to be in serious pain, and what did I do? I just sat and watched. That didn't make me feel too super.

Just to add to the surprises, I slightly glanced around the room. I assumed the room was Keiichiro's apartment, but that would mean…that I was under the covers of his bed. Realizing this wasn't the time to assume the worst had gone on in here, I jumped out and approached Keiichiro.

Now I know it's not my nature to let feelings show, but the facts being laid across that Keiichiro was unconscious, wet, and clothed in simply a towel could be nerve-wrecking to anyone. In particular, it bothered me. Keiichiro Akasaka was always the kind, mild-mannered manager and chef at the Café Mew Mew, and co-runner of the Mew Project aside Ryou. But that wasn't my problem. My problem was the fact that he was sweet and caring. He'd always opened these tributes to me, and it always bothered me. And here he was, continually torturing me.

As much as it was scary, out of what seemed to be the right thing at the moment, I gave extreme caution and carefulness to moving Keiichiro onto his bed, doing my best not to let his towel reveal anything. Lying on the bed, his chest slowly rose up and down, letting me know that he was still breathing, which was a good thing. He seemed so peaceful, even though I was in doubt, it let my mind rest for a bit. It was much better to see him like this than in such horrid fear like he was before. Why would a good person like Keiichiro be suffering so much?

Then I noticed his hair. His long, brown, silky hair, lay out on the bed beside him. It was sopping wet, most likely getting his sheets wet. Then my eyes went to his hand, his right hand, and it looked pretty red. Then I remembered him burning it, and my...bandaging it. I went to what I assumed to be his bathroom and retrieved a towel and some aloe. Coming back, I sat on the bed next to him and dried his hair with the towel. His hair was free of split-ends, and it marveled me, it being longer than my own hair. Now only slightly damp, I laid the towel out evenly under his hair, so his sheets and blankets wouldn't get wet further. Then I applied the aloe to his hand, and brought it above the covers of his bed so it wouldn't get his sheets sticky.

I finally had time to think. Why was I here? The last thing I could really remember was battling a really strong Chimera Anima, and getting hurt badly, but I felt fine. And that definitely didn't explain me being in Keiichiro's apartment, let alone under the covers of his bed. It being Keiichiro, I didn't really feel threatened or anything, but I still couldn't help but wonder.

_Bring! Bring!_

Breaking my thoughts, the phone rang. Joy, that gave me something to do in the meantime. Following the sound of the ring, I found the phone, hung up on the wall, next to a picture. It appeared to be of Keiichiro and his old ex-girlfriend, I think her name was Rei. It brought a not to my stomach. Ug, deal with that later.

I picked up the phone. "Moshi-moshi?"

"Ah, Akasaka-san? Is that you?" I recognized the voice right away, it was Lettuce. But why was she calling Keiichiro's apartment?

"Lettuce, it's Zakuro," I corrected her. But then again, maybe I shouldn't have answered the phone, but something tells me she knows what's going on better than I do…

"Ah! Gomen-nasai, Zakuro-san!" her shy voice sure came out and beamed on the other end, startling me. But it brought me to find that I felt full of energy, and that didn't seem quite right, if I was fighting as Mew Zakuro just before…. I didn't reply. Rather, I waited for her to continue.

"Um, anyway, Zakuro-san, it's good to know that you're awake now," she continued. Awake? I guess she does know more than I did, "How are you feeling?"

"…I'm actually feeling quite…" I thought of an adjective to describe it. I really did feel strong, "…full of energy."

"Huh?" her voice peeped, "Energy? Zakuro-san, are you sure? When Akasaka-san found you, you seemed to be in pretty bad shape…but, where is Akasaka-san?"

Great. Now what would I say? 'Oh yeah, Lettuce, Keiichiro fell unconscious as soon as he got out of his shower, so I picked him up and put him on his bed, while he was still wet and wearing only a towel,' didn't sound like the best thing to say, all flat out. Lettuce would probably have a heart attack, the poor girl. So I turned the question on her, "Lettuce, what about Ryou? Is he around?"

"Uh…wait a moment, I'll get him. Good-bye, Zakuro-san," she said, and I heard rustling noises as the phone was carried along, eventually ending with a "Hello?"

"Ryou-san, it's Zakuro," I told him, "and I figure you know something about what's wrong with Keiichiro, am I correct?" I decided to say, putting the topic of my question straight out. I knew why I was there, but for some reason, that was the first thing that came to my mind.

"Wrong with Keiichiro?" he asked back, sounding somewhat surprised. So maybe he didn't know, but my senses said that there was something up, "Zakuro, what's wrong with Keiichiro? Can I talk to him?"

"No," I stated abruptly, almost a snap to his question, "He's sleeping. God knows why, Ryou. I apparently was unconscious in his bed, when he comes out of the shower, grieves in pain from a Lord-forsaken headache, and falls to the floor, that it must've been that bad."

Ryou was silent for a long time. I didn't regret the amount of information that I gave him, though. I told him everything that I need to say, so hopefully he was processing it. Don't get me wrong, Ryou's not dumb. But the silence told me that something indeed _was_ going on. "I'm not saying that I demand an explanation," I lied, truthfully wanting to know what was up, "but I do advise that you do something, say, _come over here now and check on him_," I said, through gritted teeth.

I didn't wait for an answer that time. That time I hung up. Shame that it was on a sour note. So there definitely was something wrong going on, and that something wrong involved poor Keiichiro. My eyes went back to the picture next to the phone. Rei. Why had they broken up, anyway? Not that it was any of my business, but who wouldn't want to be with Keiichiro…but I can't be thinking thoughts like that. Of course, it's kind of hard not to think about the person you witnessed fall to the pain of a merciless…headache? Was it just a headache?

I roamed his apartment for awhile, not having anything else to really do. Not finding anything really all that interesting, I came back to Keiichiro's bedside and sat down on the edge, careful not to disturb him. Thank God he still looked to be at peace. It really seemed to be soothing to me. My hand subconsciously went to his face. I bit my upper lip. What was I thinking? My fingers trembled at his cheek. When I thought about it, I didn't really know anything about him, and maybe that's why I seemed so attracted to him right now. Attracted? I thought I promised myself not to think those thoughts. After all, love's never really worked out for me in the long run, anyway. I quickly drew my hand back, holding it at my chest.

_Who was Keiichiro really? _

It was so tempting, and I gave in, taking my hand to his silky hair, and slowly stroking it. I found it very relaxing. But now whenever I look at him, I'll be thinking about his peaceful attributes…

I had all the energy in the world. As strange as it may seem, I probably sat there for fifteen or twenty minutes, just stroking his long hair, before there was a knock at the door. Not wanting to move, I just said loudly, "Come in!"

The door clicked, and in walked Ryou. "Keiichiro, how are-" but he stopped short. I didn't move my position, gazing at the brunette male, but I lifted a finger to my lips, indicating him to stay quiet. I didn't care what Ryou's current thoughts were, I loved this feeling. This feeling of serenity and peace, but Ryou eventually cleared his throat and tapped my shoulder. I averted my gaze to his serious face. He lent over to my ear and whispered, "I hate to break up anything here, but do you plan on getting him into some clothes, or shall I?"

I suddenly jumped up at his comment. He started to snicker, but I gave him a death glare. That's right, no one snickers at me, Zakuro Fujiwara. I briskly walked over to the door. "I'll be outside, then," I said, about to exit.

Ryou muttered something, but I caught his words with my powerful ears, "You know, you don't have to stay here," was about what he said, and I shot him a look. "How do you know whether I want to stay or not?" I asked him, dryly. I, in fact, wanted to stay. It was only mid-day, possibly two or three-ish, and I wanted to feel that peace again. I turned once more and shut the door behind me, now in the apartment's main hallway.

I leaned against the wall, pretty much absent of thought. Occasionally, a person would pass through and enter a room. An elderly woman came through with several groceries in her arms, and was fumbling with a key, appearing to have trouble, her small arms struggling to keep the bags up without dropping them.

"Here," I offered, coming by her and taking the key, entering it in the slot, "let me help you out." I opened the door before her, and she walked inside the room, I following, but not really realizing it.

She walked up to her kitchen counter and put the bags down. She greeted me upon turning around, so she knew I was there. Putting my hand out with her keys, she rose her delicate hand to retrieve her belonging.

"Thank-you so much!" her scratchy voice chimed, yet welcoming. She fiddled with the glasses that rested on her nose, much too big for her small face. "I don't believe I've met you before," she said, straight-forward, "Are you new here?"

It was reassuring to know that there were people in Japan who didn't recognize me at first glance, "No," I said, shaking my head slightly, "I'm…" I thought of what to say, as to why I was there, "I'm visiting a friend, Akasaka Keiichiro."

As soon as I said his name, her face lit up, "Ah! Keiichiro-chan!" she beamed, her suffix almost making me wince, but her face turned to happy questioning, "So are you his new girlfriend? You seem to be a very nice person and—"

And I hated to cut her off, but it seemed to be an automatic, "Ah, no, we're nothing more than acquaintances," I quickly corrected, almost regretting it. Her face froze at a sad expression, but almost instantly returned to glad once more.

"I see," she replied, seeming disappointed, "Because I was really hoping that boy had someone new in his life. He's always seemed down when he returns from work each day, since he broke up with his Rei-chan. Sure, he tries to hide it, but it was always clear for me to see that he was in pain. Keiichiro, that boy, he's like a son to me."

I didn't want to be rude, but this talk about Keiichiro and his past girlfriend was getting to me. Sure, she said he was in pain, but that can't be related to his recent 'attack,' could it?

There was a knock at the door, breaking our 'conversation.' "Come in!" the elderly woman called out, and the door clicked. The door opened just a crack, and Ryou's face peered through the opening, "Hello, Suzuki-sama," he muttered.

The older woman came rushing toward the door, "Oh, Ryou! So good to see you!" her voice rang out. Ryou let go of the door, letting it swing open, revealing him to look quite groggy, and agitated. "Please, come in!"

"Well, you see," he said, raising a hand on the side of the doorway, like it was almost for support, "Zakuro and I need to return to the café, so-"

"Oh, of course!" she said, suddenly very full of energy, and she seemed to push me out of her apartment room quite quickly, "Especially with the wonderful Keiichiro gone, you need to give it lots of effort!"

"Um, that's right!" Ryou grinned enthusiastically, but I could tell he was just pulling the face for the believing woman. But she just nodded, briskly making her way to the door and shutting it after us. I looked at Ryou questioningly, wanting to know what all that was about. He seemed to understand, "We'll just say that Keiichiro and I have known her for a very long time, alright?" he said. Guess it was obvious that he didn't want to make any more explaining at the time being, so maybe I'd ask Keiichiro later.

"So you said," I urged on softly, unsure of my surroundings, but I didn't make something like that clear for him to see, "That we need to get back to the café?" We were supposed to have these two days off, weren't we?

"Oh, right," he mumbled. Then, clearing his voice first, he continued, "That was just to get us out of Suzuki's house. Otherwise, she'll really talk your ears off and-"

"That's not what I'm getting at, Ryou," I confronted. I sort of figured that part, but that wasn't what I wanted to hear from him, "I mean, what's the deal with Keiichiro? Don't lie to me, you know I can understand you better than that," I made clear, even though he probably knew me well enough by now.

He started to walk back towards Keiichiro's door, which was shut once more, "Let's say, for now, he needs rest, okay? I didn't bother waking him up, so he's still sleeping. Is that what you want to know? It's really known of your concearn, you know."

I didn't answer that time. I just stared at him with cold eyes. So maybe I found someone to care about, but of course there was Ryou to get past. Ryou and Keiichiro must have some pretty tight bonds going on. When I thought about it, it just came to me that there was so much I didn't know about those two, and I'm supposed to be the logical one.

I inhaled deeply, taking my time with the single breathe, then exhaled slowly through my nose. I shifted my sight down the apartment's staircase and simply left. I didn't need to give Ryou my farewell, I was pretty sure that I'd probably see him again soon, anyway.

--

So after a model shoot that lasted for about five hours, it now being around seven-thirty p.m., I decided to make my way back to Keiichiro's apartment, you know, to make sure he was alright. He wouldn't still be sleeping, would he? I hoped he wouldn't mind my coming over...let alone to 'check up' on him. After all, he was older than me, but I really wanted to see him again, be at that calming peace he seemed to bring me to, I haven't felt that way since...

In the dark, things usually look different. This wasn't an exception. When I got to what I thought was Keiichiro's apartment, I made my way inside the building, and up the stairs, to the door I remembered being his. Sure, the hallway was lit up with ceiling lights, but that didn't help the different feel it had at night. I walked up to his door, my hand raising, about to knock, when I froze. Did I really want to go inside again? My instincts said yes, yes I wanted to go inside, and I usually followed my instincts, especially after becoming a Mew. Instead of knocking, my hand fell to the doorknob, and found it to be open, not locked. My hand sub-consciously turned it open, the door sliding inward, revealing the room I met before, only from the doorway this time. I tilted my head around, finding him standing at his kitchen counter, working on something.

I couldn't see his expression, because I was seeing him from behind, but he didn't move, so I was guessing that he didn't notice my entrance to his room. But I didn't make my entrance known, either. I quietly stepped inside, carefully observing the area.

Keiichiro was dressed in clothes other than his cafe uniform: something that I haven't really seen much of before. His hair was tied back as the usual, with a dark blue ribbon, loosely held just below his neckline. His shirt was a deep purple silky long-sleeved, which looked surprisingly good on him, only to be complimented by a pair of loose fitting blue jeans, and dark purple house slippers. Just his clothing made him seem at peace, but I still needed more proof.

A scent that not only filled the air decided to fill my nostrils, and it smelled of something delicious. It took me a moment to figure it out -- it smelled of bouillabaisse, a traditional seafood meal, and gee, did it smell wonderful. I'd sworn I could smell potato gratin as well...could he eat all of that at once? There was no way, because bouillabaisse was usually only served when several people were eating together, like one big meal, such as a Thanksgiving or Christmas family dinner or such.

I decided to make my presence known to him, by walking right up to his side and viewing his work. "That sure does smell delightful. Having someone over?" I asked casually, like I was supposed to be there or something. At first he just smiled at the sizzling fish in his frying pan, but then he turned his head to look at me, his face turning somewhat shocked.

"Za-Zakuro-san?" he stuttered. I couldn't help but notice that his right hand was bandaged up, and he was mostly using his left hand to take care of things at the stove. I just slightly tilted my head and gave him a warm smile, like he was supposed to know why I was there. "Ah, what brings you here?" he asked startledly.

So getting him to understand would be a tad bit harder than I suspected. "I-" I started to say, trying to think of how to explain my presence. I hadn't thought that far ahead, unfortunately, "I just decided to drop by, see how you were feeling, after what happened earlier..." my voice trailed off, not sure how to continue what I was trying to tell him.

"What...happened earlier?" he repeated after me. He paused to think, and after a few seconds, his face flushed, unusual for Keiichiro. Was he...embarrassed? "Um, I'm...sorry about that, earlier, I mean," he softly commented, going back to tending the cooking food he had infront of him. Without anymore explaination, or lack of there off, he turned to face me again, "Care to join me for dinner?" he asked, his carefree nature back in his voice, making my stomach flip, "Like you said, I've made plenty of food, so..."

Just as he spoke, my stomach growled, most likely loud enough for him to hear. I hadn't eaten anything at all, all day long once I thought about it. Keiichiro's smile grew wider, "Is that a yes?" he asked again, moving to a drawer, and pulling out two plates, "It'd be nice to have company over for dinner for a change, especially with a special lady like yourself."

Okay, so Keiichiro always called us his 'special ladies,' right? So what made this any different? Oh, that's right, I've apparantly just decided that I'm joining him for dinner, not to mention that his cooking is absolutely exceptional, and he insisted, so I couldn't really decline his offering. And I couldn't remember the last time I had a home cooked meal, so...

Keiichiro began to set a small table that sat in the middle of the room, near his bed. "I'm actually quite glad you came over, Zakuro-san," he said, but if it weren't for my wolf senses, I probably wouldn't have heard him that he spoke so softly, "Don't get the wrong idea, I don't normally cook like this, but I just had the urge to really dish something up tonight, so I'm glad I have someone to share it with."

Great, now he was telling me that he was happy I was here. With him. Sure, people were always 'happy to be with Zakuro Fujiwara,' Mint not being an exception to that rule, but for once it was a reason other than my modeling career. In fact, his reason was pretty irrelevant to me in particular anyway, so say it was Lettuce or Ichigo or Mint, he'd do the same thing for them, right?

**

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**

Yes, I understand this chapter wasn't all that mysterious, but I promise mystery for the future, I really do!


	5. Burned Down

Wow…it's been an awfully long time. I hope I haven't lost readers during the wait! And…I'm sorry that this chapter isn't as long as my other chapters have been. Not just that, but most of this chapter you'll mostly be already aware of, seeing as it mostly takes place during episode 36, and that's where a whole lot of dialogue is coming from. In other words…this is just to keep this thing alive, if you think about it. Well, actually, it is progressing, so…enjoy!

Disclaimer: try…no.

**ichigomintoretasupurinzakuromasayaryoukeiichirokishutarutopai

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**

"Keiichiro…Keiichiro? Are you okay? Wake-up!"

The brunette slowly opened his drowsy eyes to see the young blonde boy's vibrant blue eyes staring right at him. Seeing Keiichiro awake, he fell back to simply sit, crossing his arms. "You've been out cold for the past day. Papa and I found you unconscious in the ruins."

The ruins? Keiichiro strained to bring back previous thoughts. Yes, he was in the ruins, and he remembered finding something extraordinary.

"You," the young adult began to ask, "when you saw me, was there anything else you noticed? Anything different at all?"

Ryou brought a finger to him mouth in thought, "Well, there were some pretty neat ancient-looking drawings on the walls, that I suppose are possibly over 4000 years old, but that was all."

That wasn't the answer Keiichiro was hoping for. He wanted news on his tablet. His sapphire encrusted stone tablet that he had found earlier. He longed for it, to see it again. Too bad he wasn't the least bit worried about his situation from the previous day, for the pain he had encountered must've slipped his memory, that or he simply didn't remember, or he couldn't recall.

Keiichiro paused. He remembered being alone, searching by himself, something he shouldn't have been doing in the first place, by himself. If he asked Ryou what happened, he wouldn't be able to tell him, right? After all, he did mention that he 'found,' him, but he did say that he was with his father.

"Now on topic," he said, an awkward thought coming to him, "where is the Doctor?"

Ryou looked displeased with the question. "Papa's working in the lab. I want to work alongside him, but he insists on me finding something else to do with my time, and I'd much rather study with him on the Mew Project. And here I go rambling on about my wants again. Mama says it's not good to constantly wish for things, and if you do, don't burden others about them, yet she tells me that if I want something, I should ask her or Papa for it…though all I want is to work with him."

Mind in thought, Keiichiro studied over the young ten-year old boy. He was very different compared to the other boys that he attended school with in America, and he doubted him being half-Japanese really had anything to do with the subject. But studying him again, he was just now noticing the bandages he must have just received from his mother. Did Ryou even bother to try and fight back? Often times it seemed unlikely.

"I'm going to have a talk with your father, so I'll be right back, alright?"

Keiichiro made his way down the manor's hallway, leading to the lab that Doctor Shirogane often studied in.

…

"I see, Ryou mentioned that."

"Yes. He was reading your research log eagerly when he said that he'd follow in your footsteps and become a scientist."

"Unlike me, he is a genius with an I.Q. of over 180. He could do anything he put his mind to. And yet, I wouldn't like him to become like me…"

"Doctor…"

"Experiments that cannot see the light of day…If we hadn't found these ruins…If we didn't learn that a civilization other than humans existed and created things such as 'Chimera'…and we hadn't realized the danger that they can still inflict on us…"

…

"Let Ryou go to a University, you say?"

"Yes, it might be impossible in Japan, but isn't it natural here in America?"

"I wouldn't mind, but I'm not sure he wants it himself."

"He's too intelligent and is already isolated in that school. Forcing him to continue and stay in school might not be a good idea."

"Are parents' dreams for their children always in vein? I wonder where he got his unsociable ways."

"I wouldn't know…"

"Loneliness comes with being a genius, I suppose…Akasaka-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Would you become his friend?"

"That's impossible. I'm already friends with him."

"I see."

"So, Doctor, I'll…be taking him to a museum this afternoon, try to get him out of the house for you?"

"Well, if it's in his best interest, it's fine. I trust you fully, Akasaka-kun."

…

Keiichiro wasn't entirely sure of what came over him, or more so, why he had the sudden urge to leave, and take Ryou with. At first, it was just an instinct, but the unmentioned feelings grew stronger, and asking his father simply so was the easiest way to complete the task. Although the entire outing was in vein, he couldn't get his mind off of Ryou's parents, and why he had the urge to take Ryou away from them that evening.

…

"If you go to a university, you'd find more people to talk to. You'll probably learn a few technical terms, though."

"Hey, Keiichiro, why are you helping Dad's research?"

"Who knows why?"

"You have so much ability yourself. You should be able to get a lab of your own, don't you think?"

"My research title right now is 'The Best Way to Serve Tea, and the Scientific Analysis of Teacup Curves.'"

"You're always avoiding questions like this."

"Besides, the Doctor is a very charming person."

Ryou finally sat back. Why wouldn't Keiichiro bring up his own goals and success them, instead of helping complete his father's? Wasn't his father capable on his own, or rather, didn't Keiichiro want something better than being an assistant?

Keiichiro kept driving on, nearing Ryou's mansion called home. A knot was tied tightly in his stomach. For an unknown reason, he was really regretting bringing Ryou back home.

…

Keiichiro slammed the brakes.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I don't know, but the sound is coming from…"

"Look!"

"Someone near our house!"

"Let's hurry!"

Keiichiro sped on toward the blazing flames, the grey and black smoke.

…

Ryou jolted out of the car, running up to the border line of the fire ring aligning the area that once was not so long ago his house. He knew his parents were still inside…

"Mama! PAPA!"

Keiichiro sprung after the young boy, grabbing him around the waist, preventing him from going in any farther. "It's dangerous!" Ryou quit squirming, and grew very quite. The young boy's eyes followed up to the darting flames, the smoke flying up into the air faster and faster as the fire burned on. "Papa…MAMA!"

"Ryou, you musn't!"

"LET GO! PAPA AND MAMA ARE IN THERE! LET ME GO! I HAVE TO HELP THEM!"

"**LET GO!!"**

…

Keiichiro held onto Ryou for dear life. A wretched looking Chimera flew up from the flames, and as soon as he made eye contact, the flames built up in his own head, burning his thoughts. Though he couldn't feel self-pity, he was drowning in the absence of Ryou's parents, as he must have been.

Had this been the reason? The reason he had gotten Ryou away? Then why hadn't he gotten Ryou's parents out of there as well? What was…

_the meaning of it all?_

…

"It looks like everything burned to the ground…everything!"

"It hasn't burned down…"

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**ichigomintoretasupurinzakuromasayaryoukeiichirokishutarutopai**

Yes, we're taking a break from Zakuro. Next chapter will be…on Keiichiro and Rei, I think…sure, why not? Keiichiro pastries to reviewers!


	6. Slipping By

Apologies can't cover my lack of updates. I'm just hoping that I haven't lost reader's interests and will get _some_ reviews on this chapter. It's shorter than the others, excluding the Prologue, though it's key to later events in the story. Though, on the bright side, I've got a plot planned out for this one, so let's **hope** updates are more frequent!!

I'm thinking that my lack of updates was due to my sudden obsession for making AMVs (I recently finished a ZxK AMV to the song "She Will Be Loved!" Look for it!!), but I'm back to writing again. Originally my goal was to finish this before the new year, though that's already passed, I'll have to set myself another limit…

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew or any of its characters.

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Perhaps I told her too much. If there was one thing you could read off of Zakuro, it was when she was in deep thought, though it's the only thing you can really tell she's doing, and this was one of those times. Her eyes were set downcast, her mouth slowly chewing as I simply continued with my meal, just wondering what she could possibly be thinking just then. The silence was ailing. Maybe…it wasn't my place to explain the events of the first Chimera attack, but I had the strong will to.

But what would she think of it? I really don't know her that well, when I think about it. Well sure, she's the famous Zakuro Fujiwara, the idol of all teenage girls, and has most likely been on the cover of most teen magazines, but I don't even know her basics, her origins, and I wanted to ask her so much, was now the time to do it?

She still hadn't said anything. Slowly her delicate hand reached for her glass, and she pressed its edge to her lips, taking in the fluid, and now I'm becoming very observant of her every action. The tension was pressing on me. I knew I was going to sound awkward, but I really badly wanted to ask her simple questions.

"Zakuro-san, ah, w-what's…" I stuttered at first, but her attention was now on me, her eyes now on me from behind the glass, and the words came out quickly together, "what's your favorite color?"

Zakuro's expression didn't change, lowering the glass back to the table. Head altering ever so slightly, a strand of hair falling forward over her ear, her lips parting for words this time, "violet."

Great. I just asked the most obvious question, didn't I? As if I couldn't have figured that out and… "And…who's your favorite singer?"

This time her eyes locked with mine, and her mouth cracked into a side smile, "Utada Hikaru. I guess you could say she's an idol of mine. And you?"

My eyes sort of bugged. Trying to find something else to occupy myself with other than the question, I had already finished my meal, so I couldn't eat my way out of answering. I shifted my head into a slight nod, "Yes, Hikaru has a very sweet voice, and I do enjoy Ayumi Hamasaki, and the band AAA."

Dinner was over, it was pretty official now, and I wanted to keep the questions rolling. As I began to clear the table, I continued inquiring the girl. "So, I guess you don't get a lot of free time between working at the café and modeling?"

Another nod preceded, "That's pretty true."

"But, don't get me wrong, this is free time now, right?"

Zakuro assisted with clearing dishes, silverware, and glasses from the table and over to the kitchen sink while she answered my most recent inquiry, "Yes, and I'm spending it the way I choose."

I blinked, dumbfound by her last sentence, but her next actions caught my attention. She began washing dishes in the sink, but thinking of the courteous thing to do, went to her side to stop her. "Zakuro-san, you were a guest, I'll do those later," I insisted, shutting off the running water. Zakuro pulled her hands out of the sink, drying them, and said, "Well, want to walk with me to Inohara Park?" she clasped her hands together in a ladylike manner, _smiling_.

Great. My head was handling this like a young teenage boy again. I wasn't totally sure I'd be able to answer back, due to the accelerating beat of my heart. Forcing my neck to snap my head into a nod, I pushed myself to my closet to grab a light jacket for the night air, which had taken over according to the dark sky. "Ladies first," I gestured to Zakuro, opening the door.

And we were on our way, walking slowly (to my liking) to the vastly foliaged part of the area. The feeling was awkward, though, because not even a mild conversation lingered anymore. There was the brief mentioning of the crisp night air, but that was basically as far as any topic went. Not that I didn't mind the silence, I'm sure that's what Zakuro's used to anyway…

We arrived at Inohara Park after maybe fifteen minutes of silence, but it seemed the first place both of our legs took us to was the lake in the center of the greenery.

"The…moon sure is beautiful against the still water, isn't it?" I said, already anticipating the same awkward silence to fall as what did before.

Zakuro nodded. "And," she started to speak, but her words dropped short. I looked at her, waiting for her to continue, but her attention was drawn elsewhere. She nodded in the direction that she was looking, but she didn't move otherwise. I looked, and saw what had distracted her before. A duck was on the ground, its wings spread, and a pop-can separator was stuck around its neck, choking the living creature close to its last breaths. Knowing what to do, I started to forward, but stopped soon as Zakuro grabbed my arm.

"_Only see to it if you know how to help, otherwise that only worsens the situation_," she said in her usual cold tone, not taking her eyes off of the dieing bird ahead, but I slightly jerked my arm from her, smiling back gently, "Just watch."

I advanced the fifteen feet to the bird. Luckily I had my pocket-knife on me to release it from the choking plastic. The duck still looked weak, so it was about time for me to work my 'magic.' Bringing my hands around its body, I started to release energy. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea, going for the second time that day, not to mention recently recovering, but this was a definite benefit, right?

The duck started to squirm under my grip, so I lifted it, stopped the energy flow, and it flew from my hands into the air. I could've sworn I heard Zakuro gasp, though that's not like her. She neared me and said, "That…seemed just like the bird Ryou applied drops of Mew Aqua to, it just instantly recovered!"

_Mew Aqua?_

But Zakuro knew something odd was up, and that was all I needed to know that I needed to get myself out of a situation. "Mew Aqua?" I questioned jokingly, "It just took a _gentleman's touch_ is all," I answered warmly, involuntarily hiding my hands behind my backside, not that there was a reason to. "But…" I tried to get her attention elsewhere, nodding back toward the pond, "The full moon's reflection is,"

"Beautiful," Zakuro cut in, now kneeling down, getting closer to the water.

I wanted this to be my break. Now was my chance to ask her, maybe on a date, now that we were together, _alone_, on such a beautiful night. I knelt down next to her, keeping my face forward, trying my best to keep my composure calm and collected. My heart felt like it was about to burst, my pulse racing. I tried to control my sight, though it was blurring. _You can do this..._

"Zakuro, I… I wanted to know if—"

No, not now! A **headache** can't come now! I tried to continue talking, and I knew she was looking at me now, but my mouth began to slur nothings, my body shaking, trying to prevent my hands from flying up to my head, but they did anyway. The sudden quick motion of my body caused me to slip from the ground under me into the shallow edge of the lake in front of me, though my face was still down underwater.

As painful as it was, the only thing that could run through my aching brain was how embarrassing this was, and in front of Zakuro, though all thoughts stopped shortly when my mind numbed and everything became black for the second time that day.

* * *

I'm still debating on the next POV, whether it will be Zakuro's or Keiichiro's, though I'm leaning toward Keiichiro, because this is his story after all, and I want to save another POV for Zakuro for much later. Yes, I'm planning on this being the longest story I've written. Anticipate it!! So read, review, and push me for more updates, don't be afraid to nag me and remind me!! 


	7. Just Like You

It's been a loooooooooong time. I've had this chapter written out for a long time, but I had no idea where the notebook that I wrote it in was. I just got cleaning my room and BAM! I found it! I'M SO HAPPY! And to be honest, as much as I love reviews, I'm pretty sure the people following this story aren't really in the fanbase anymore, so I'm really writing this story to satisfy my own fangirlish needs…for now xD

ENJOY CHAPTER SEVEN OF PANACEA PEOPLE~

* * *

_I think they always said in the movies to not go towards the bright light. But what if the bright light is the only thing you can see, and you feel so empty inside? As if, this bright light is the answer to your emptiness, and if you go towards it, you won't feel empty anymore. You'll feel complete, something every living creature strives for. That light is going to fill you up and more, and you'll overflow with completeness._

I took control of my body and tossled myself to roll over, having no idea where I was, squinting an eye open at the brightness of the flickering monitors around me in the dark-lit room.

"You've been out a long time," came the voice of Ryou, whom I assumed was at a computer somewhere in the lab, my assumed location, "How are you feeling?"

My eyes now adjusting, I threw my legs around to hang off the side of the bed, bringing myself to sit. Woah, now I felt light-headed. Running my fingers against my scalp as if it'd help my uneasy feeling, I searched for an answer, "I think I may just get myself something to drink, I'm a little on the woozy side."

"Okay," Ryou said in his regular monotone, "but come back down here when you're done, okay? I want to research a few more things and then I want to show you something."

I nodded, and lazily made my way upstairs to the main part of the café. I had no idea what time it was, that it was still dark outside, but I forsaw this leading to a tiresome next day, if it wasn't morning already. Stumbling into the kitchen I wandered to the sink and filled myself a tall glass of water. Boy, did I feel completely burned out. The last thing I could remember prior to passing out was…oh no…walking in the park with Zakuro! Just what had happened, and what happened to her, where did she go? The situation was obviously dealt with because I'm in the café with Ryou but…I'd still like to know what happened.

With a little bit of a clearer mind, I decided to go back downstairs and find out whatever it was that Ryou wanted. Walking into the lab, I caught a glimpse of Ryou's computer monitor, which had a map of Tokyo on it and a bunch of scattered blinking lights on it. Ryou must have noticed that I had come back down because he instantly started talking to me once I entered the room.

"Keiichiro, come look at this display," he told me, and so I went to stand by his side and view the screen over his shoulder. "See the glowing orbs? They represent Mew Aqua of high concentration scattered throughout Japan. See this orb here?" Ryou pointed to a glowing dot that appeared to be close to the café. "There appears to be a large amount of Mew Aqua in the pond you were visiting tonight."

I studied the map, and analyzed what he had just told me. Alright, so there's Mew Aqua nearby. I was about to put two and two together when Ryou decided to jump the gun and do it for me.

"Keiichiro," Ryou said, interrupting my thoughts, "I'm sorry to come across so completely blunt like this but…there has got to be some kind of connection between you and the Mew Aqua. I mean, the Mew Aqua has got healing properties to it, and likewise, you've got healing abilities, and well, I think you had a reaction tonight."

So that's what it was, a reaction to the Mew Aqua in the water. I couldn't help but wince. My burnt hand began to throb again. I knew that I needed to research further into what Ryou was trying to tell me, but it was getting late and thinking this hard when you're this tired is unhealthy. Still, I couldn't shake one thought.

"Ryou, we'll look more into this tomorrow," I said after thinking it over a bit, "I was with Zakuro, where did she go?"

Ryou sighed, "Really, Keiichiro?" That's just like you, too. You could be on your deathbed and all you'd care about was the person with you," Ryou stated matter-of-factly. So I care about people, that's not a crime. "Eh, when you passed out, she called me, not knowing who else to get ahold of. When I got there I told her that she could go home, and thought she seemed a bit reluctant at first, left without much else to say. And that's just like her, that Zakuro."

Okay, my thoughts were a little more at rest now. Not that I was particularly concerned that anything had happened, but still.

"Well," I said, holding back a yawn, "I have to thank-you again for helping me out so much today, and for that I believe I'll be heading home now…" but he cut me off once again that night,

"Oh no ya don't, "Ryou snapped quickly, now turning in his chair to look at me, "There's no way you're going anywhere by yourself tonight, especially after passing out cold twice in one day, hence why I got this bed out here for you," and he motioned back to the bed that I had just woken up in not too long ago.

"Ryou," I said, just smiling. He could be negligent sometimes, but the warm heart I knew so well was making its appearance that night. "Thank-you," I said again, getting back into bed.

"Don't mention it," he replied, "I'm in debt with the number of times you've saved my ass."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Oh really?" I asked, "name one time."

Ryou brushed his fingers through his hair, "Just one? Hm, well let's see, there was the time that I had transformed into Alto and the kids at the playground wouldn't put me down. I was on my last minute when you came along."

"Alright, as funny as that one sounds," I said, knowing it was a bad time to laugh despite Ryou's chuckling to himself, "that was a very serious situation! You could've remained a cat for the rest of your life!"

Swatting the air with his hand and then spinning back around in his chair to face his computer, Ryou said, "Hey, I'm alive and well right here, aren't I? And besides, "his voice grew quieter then, "You really did save my life that one time…"

It didn't take me long to realize what he was referring to this time. "Ryou…you know that that was purely by chance. If I had known the circumstances I would have-"

"Saved my parents, I know, Keiichiro," Ryou said quickly to cut me off yet again. "Purely by chance or not, I'm still grateful to you and owe you my life. Sure, sometimes I think it would've been better if I had been killed with them…but then I try to tell myself 'everything happens for a reason,' and hey, look at me now!" And on this last note, Ryou spun back around to look at me and gave me a small grin. It was then that I remembered how this boy, as difficult as he could be sometimes, grew to be such a close friend. I really did treasure his company.

"Ryou-"

But I was cut off, but for the last time that night, "Keiichiro, stop thanking me already and get your rest. We've got lots of research to do tomorrow."

And with that I went to bed.


End file.
